Adam

Ever since I watched the little Australian short which went on to win big at the Academy Awards 6 years ago, I have been obsessed with Adam Elliot, the amazingly brilliant creator and visionary of some of Australia's best known animated films such as Harvey Krumpet (Oscar, 2004) and Mary and Max, his first feature film.

I have been fortunate enough to meet Adam on a number of random occasions which has only encouraged my obsession with him and his work (yes I know it sounds like a case of Fatal Attraction but I don't think he has a rabbit so we're all safe). But I realise that there must be more to this obsession than the man himself.

Adam has only ever made 5 films, 4 of which were shorts. Yet every single film, every single shot, and every single frame is uniquely Adam Elliot's. Usually in black and white, featuring a troupe of flawed characters and using very simple set designs, Adam loves to play on the audience's expectations of the animation genre. Our childhood experiences dictate that animation is a realm where princesses fall asleep and awake 100 years later without a single wrinkle; where a young girl falls down a rabbit hole and doesn't break a leg; and where an old man and a small boy can sail to Central America in a house floated by thousands of balloons.

Adam's films however, deal with much more complicated subject matter. For example, in Uncle, Adam discusses the life of his real Uncle who's wife committed suicide during their marriage. Rather than focusing on this terrible tragedy however, Adam highlights the way his uncle dealt with his aunt's death by making smiley faces with his food and hanging out with his dog, Reg. The film's plotline is intriguing, unsettling but highly delightful. Adam's selection of shot types, angles and lighting all tie together to produce film's which are simply beautiful.

It is this eclectic style which I eventually hope to emulate later on in my career or at least aspire to during my productions in and outside of RMIT.